“When you believe what you have, you will receive what you want.” – Don Magsino

Madali nating maliitin ang ating mga sarili, “hindi ako nakatapos ng pag-aaral…”, “wala naman ako malakas na backer kaya hindi ako makapasok sa trabaho…” “bata pa kase ako….” “matanda na ako…” marami tayong dahilan para lalo tayong ma-depress, ma feel na talunan. Hindi iyan nakakatulong. Rather than be pathetic, why don’t you believe that God has empowered you to succeed, to be great: that you have what it takes to win.

Tandaan mo na you have everything you need to achieve greatness. God has built-in upon you the resources, the talent, the skills, the energy for you to become what He has created you for. Hindi mo kelangan ng napakaraming talento or talino or galing. In the Book of 2 Corinthians 12:9 it is said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness…the power of Christ may rest upon me. Alam mo kahit konte ang talent mo, pero kapag may anointing ka, or yong bendisyon or basbas or bahid na nagmula sa Diyos, mas makapangyarihan iyon kaya mong talunin ang mga mas matatalino at malalakas na nagtitiwala sa kanilang angking talino at lakas.

Maaring may malaking kang problema at suliranin, but if you have the favor of God, you can be stronger to defeat your enemies. Look at Samson. Marami syang kalaban at he was looking for a weapon so he can fight his foes and protect himself. Wala syang makita. Ang nahawakan lang nya ay ang bungo ng donkey. Do you think it had no match to the weapons of the Palestines? Yes, buto lang yon ng hayop but Samson asked God to bless that bone to win, and he did.

Kapag pinarangalan mo ang Panginoon, at nagtiwala ka sa Kanya, He can bless the simple and ordinary stuff to make it an explosive and extra-ordinary to make you a winner. Huwag mong sasabihin, “bobo ako…” “maliit ako…” “panget ako…” because the more you say these negative words, the more you invited defeat upon your life. Sometimes, Satan does not have to defeat you, because you defeat yourself by saying toxic words. You remember that movie that says: “your wish is my command…”. Jesus said: “you become what you believe...”

Ang dapat mong sabihin ay ang mga ganitong salita: “I have today’s grace. I am strong, empowered, and determined. There is no problem I can’t handle. I will get past every problem, handle every task, and come out on top after every tough time. This is my declaration!”

Minsan nagturo ang Panginoon sa mga tao at dumating na ang hapon. Gusto ni Hesus na pakaainin ang mga tao. Nasa malayong lugar sila but Jesus said: “I want to feed these people…” Jesus knew that they were very far and they could not buy food. But do you think was just asking something for nothing. Of course, not! He will not ask you something and will not equip you to do it. It is unfair. The disciples were telling Him, “Lord, it is impossible. You know that we’re very far from the nearest store…” Andrew talked about what when he said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish” (John 6:9). The “barley loaves” were like dinner rolls today, and the two fish were “small“; this was food for kids.

About 5,000 people were among the “men” (John 6:10). Counting the “women and children” (Matthew 14:21), there were probably at least 15,000 people in the crowd. What else can you tell us about how big this crowd is? In those days, one denarius (plural: denarii) was paid for one day’s work. This means that “two hundred denarii worth of bread” (John 6:7) meant that that much money could buy that much bread. Imagine buying bread with the money you earn in eight months and still not having enough for everyone (John 6:7). This was a huge crowd. They said to Jesus: “these cupcakes and small fish are kid’s meal, what is that among so many?” “Gasino na po ito Panginoon sa napakaraming taong ito?”

Then Jesus said: “I know we only have little…but give Me what you have…” God does not need to tell Him our alibis and excuses. Do not remind God why things are not happening, why they are impossible? Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me? (Jeremiah 32:27).

Alam nyo na ang nangyari, after Jesus prayed the cupcakes and the two small fish, it was multiplied. Maaring may mga pangarap ka, mga bagay na gusto mo mangyari sa buhay mo, pero may mga kulang sa iyo, may mga bagay na wala. But God is asking you today: “Don’t worry…just let me take from you those ‘cupcakes and small fish’, give Me what you have…I will multiply it.“

People say: “I have a big problem and I don’t have anything…” Do not look to the bigness of your problem but look to the bigness of your God. If you look to the bigness of your problem, Satan will use it against you to defeat you. He has empowered not to live stress. If God is for you, who can be against you? Do not tell God your problem but rather say these: “I declare that it is not too late to accomplish everything God has placed in my heart. I have not missed my window of opportunity. God has moments of favor in my future. He is preparing me right now because He is about to release a special grace to help me accomplish that dream. This is my time. This is my moment. I receive it today! This is my declaration.”

Noong mapalaban si David kay giant Goliath, isang tirador lang ang hawak ni David. Inalipusta ni Goliath si David, “Hahahaha. Yan lang ang meron ka? tirador? wala kang kalaban-laban sa akin. Look at what I have…” But David responded in faith: “David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45 NLT). In essence, sinasabi ni David na maaaring isang hamak na sandata lamang ang hawak ko, but I believe that I have is blessed by the God of Israel and because of that: “Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!“

God does not need you to have everything to succeed. What you have maybe a little but when God breaths life into you, believe that what you have has power. Ipakita mo sa Panginoon na kahit kulang ka ngayon, but “I don’t look at what is missing in me because I know that greater is He that is in me, in what I have, than he that is in the world.” No weapon forms against you shall prosper. No forces of darkness can defeat you. Just like David, that slingshot he had was used by God for the armed forces of Israel including the king Saul to recognise the power of God in him.

Gagamitin ng Panginoon ang anumang maliit na meron ka upang lalong maihayag ang Kanyang kadakilaan. “Ngunit pinili ng Dios ang mga itinuturing ng mundo na mangmang upang hiyain ang marurunong. Pinili ng Dios ang mga itinuturing ng mundo na mahihina upang hiyain ang malalakas. At pinili ng Dios ang mga itinuturing ng mundo na mababa at walang halaga upang mapawalang-halaga ang itinuturing ng mundo na mahalaga. Kaya walang makakapagmalaki sa harap ng Dios.”(1 Corinto 1:27-29 ASND)

It may seem small, ngunit kung ikaw ay mananalig sa Panginoon, magagawa ulet ng Diyos ang ginawa Niya kay David. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies…” Zechariah 4:9 NLT

Sometime in 2009-2010, I lost my job which I loved dearly. I said: “yon lang po Lord ang alam kong gawin bakit nyo po hinayaan mawala yon?” I felt so down. But when I realised that God was telling me something that I have to believe in what I have. I asked myself, “what do I have now?” The Lord led me to go back to study in the University of Law in London to pursue law. It was difficult because I am not from an English speaking country. I remember what God did to David, He made what was ordinary to become extraordinary. I entrusted God what I have, my lack of money to pay for tuition fees to finish a degree in law, my lack of ability to speak fluent English, my age to go back in school, but Jesus “multiplied” it so to speak. Now, I have finished my degree in law and masters of law and currently doing my doctorate degree. I received the “multiplication” of what I thought was impossible but with God everything is possible. I am now a lawyer defending human rights of many people to fight for justice in many courts of law. I now imagine, what if I stopped? what if I did not believe in what I have? I could have missed what God has planned for me.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV

Kung may ibinigay ang Lord sa iyo na akala mo maliit, akala mo ay walang kwenta, just like me, I thought I was not qualified to become what I wanted to be, but that small beginning, that thing I had, God used it for my good. I truly believe na ganoon din ikaw, paniwalaan mo na you’ve got what it takes, and God will take the small stuff and He will multiply it for you. One day, makikita mo na lamang na malayo na ang narating mo sa buhay. You will be like David who will say: “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (2 Samuel 7:18). You will know that it is not because of you but because of God whom you trusted and believed. That’s the goodness and the favor of God.

Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying: ‘This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. – Zechariah 4:6 JPS

Dahil sa kadakilaan ng Panginoon sa iyong buhay, you will travel the world and reach places beyond your imagination, you or your family will become powerful people in the land, your children will become top of their professions – all these so that the world will know you are the child of the Most High God.

You can only be a shepherd boy like David, no training, just a slingshot and God’s anointing, you can become the next king David so to speak because you will be able to defeat the goliaths of your life. Kahit maliit ang iyong pananampalataya, kayang kumilos ng Diyos dyan. Jesus said one time disciples went to Jesus in private and asked Him, “Why couldn’t we…?” Jesus replied: It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you. (Matthew 17:19-21 CEV).

Even in the small stuff that you have, when you believe in what you have, God can use the smallness of your faith to work. Yes He is the Creator but He wants you to participate in His miracles. He wants those “small cupcakes and small fish”, He wants those “small mustard seed” to begin with.

In the Old Testament there were four lepers sitting outside the city gates. Nakakadiri sila dahil may mga ketong sila, so they were placed outside the community para hindi makahawa. Their enemies cut off the water supply so the people come out weak and so the enemies can attack them. Itong mga may ketong na ito ay nagsabi na: “tutal wala naman mawawala sa atin kung lalakad tayo. Kung hindi tayo kikilos ngayon, mamatay din lang naman tayo dito. Bakit hindi tayo lumakad at puntahan ang ating mga kalaban, tingnan natin anong mangyayari?”

These lepers did not have a great faith. They had small faith and they said they have nothing to lose anyway. Alam mo ba na nakita ng Diyos ang kanilang desisyon na lumakad sa pananampalataya. Yes, they had a very small faith. Pwede silang manatili sa kinalalagyan nila, nagre reklamo, bitter, protesta sa gobyerno and blaming God – but with a little effort, baby steps of faith – it was enough for God to move and do something amazing. The Bible said this: “For the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel must have hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us.” In other translations it was said that God multiplied their footsteps and caused them to sound like a vast army. The enemy ran because of fear and left behind their treasures, their livestock and their food. Walang kamalay-malay ang mga may ketong na eto that the Most High God moved and saved their lives and the rest of the nation. Supernatural things can happen, when we believe and put our confidence in God.

The God that we serve is the God of multiplication. Get ready because what you made is small but if put in His hands your worries, your sickness, your lack, He can bless you, multiply for you what you thought was not enough. You will see closed doors being opened for you, those unknown people will be divinely connected with you and will be kind to you.

When Moses was about to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God asked Moses, “what do you have?” Moses might have said: “I only have stick and nothing else. I don’t have anything. I just found this stick on the road.” God said to him, “throw it away…and then pick it up.” The stick turned to a snake and went back into a stick again. God is God. He can do anything He likes. He can turn that stick into a machine gun if He wanted to. He can multiply the little steps of the lepers and can use the slingshot to defeat a mighty giant warrior.

Kaya ngayon iwasan mo ng magsalita ng mga defeating words to yourself. You are blessed. You are anointed. You are highly favored. The Creator of this universe is breathing life into you, your family, your workplace, your finances, your health. His goodness will follow all the days of your life and His favor will bring you to great places you have never been to. He will multiply your skills and your talents. Do not be afraid and believe that God is for you. You have what it takes to win.